E5-6701. Designation for Alabama, Essex (IL), Springfield (IL), and Washington Areas

AGENCY:

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) announces designation of the following organizations to provide official services under the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act): Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (Alabama); Kankakee Grain Inspection, Inc. (Kankakee); Springfield Grain Inspection, Inc. (Springfield); and Washington Department of Agriculture (Washington).

EFFECTIVE DATE:

January 1, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

USDA, GIPSA, Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, STOP 3604, Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3604.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Janet M. Hart at 202-720-8525, e-mail [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This action has been reviewed and determined not to be a rule or regulation as defined in Executive Order 12866 and Departmental Regulation 1512-1; therefore, the Executive Order and Departmental Regulation do not apply to this action.

In the June 1, 2005 Federal Register (70 FR 9911), GIPSA asked persons interested in providing official services in the geographic areas assigned to the official agencies named above to submit an application for designation. Applications were due by July 1, 2005.

Alabama, Kankakee, Springfield, and Washington were the sole applicants for designation to provide official services in the entire area currently assigned to them, so GIPSA did not ask for additional comments on them.

GIPSA evaluated all available information regarding the designation criteria in section 7(f)(l)(A) of the Act and, according to section 7(f)(l)(B), determined that Alabama, Kankakee, Springfield, and Washington are able to provide official services in the geographic areas specified in the June 1, 2005, Federal Register, for which they applied. These designation actions to provide official services are effective January 1, 2006, and terminate December 31, 2008, for Alabama, Kankakee, Springfield, and Washington. Interested persons may obtain official services by calling the telephone numbers listed below.

Official Agency

Headquarters Location and Telephone

Designation Term

Alabama

Montgomery, AL; 334-240-7231

Additional locations: Mobile, AL, Decatur, AL

01/01/06-12/31/08

Kankakee

Essex, IL; 815-365-2268

Additional location: Tiskilwa, IL

01/01/06-12/31/08

Springfield

Springfield, IL; 217-522-5233

01/01/06-12/31/08

Washington

Olympia, WA; 360-902-1921,

Additional locations: Aberdeen, WA, Colfax, WA, Kalama, WA, Pasco, WA, Seattle, WA, Spokane, WA, Tacoma, WA, Vancouver, WA

01/01/06-12/31/08

Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.).

David R. Shipman,

Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.